Begonia plant named ‘Gum Drop Mandarin’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Begonia plant named ‘Gum Drop Mandarin’, characterized by its compact, upright and uniform plant habit; freely branching growth habit, dense and bushy growth habit; green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit with numerous flowers per plant; and small mostly double flowers that are light red in color and held above and beyond the foliage.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Begonia semperflorenscultivar Gum Drop Mandarin.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Begoniaplant, botanically known as Begonia semperflorens, and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Gum Drop Mandarin’.

The new Begonia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan. The objective of the breedingprogram was to develop new Begonia cultivars with double flowers andattractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Begonia originated from a cross made by the Inventor in 1995, ofthe Begonia semperflorens cultivar Double Pink, not patented, as thefemale, or seed parent, with the Begonia semperflorens cultivar Bazel,not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The cultivar Gum DropMandarin was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a floweringplant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environmentin Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new Begonia by cuttings in a controlledenvironment in Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan since 1999 has shown that theunique features of this new Begonia are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘Gum Drop Mandarin’ has not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Gum Drop Mandarin’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Gum Drop Mandarin’ as a newand distinct Begonia cultivar:

1. Compact, upright and uniform plant habit.

2. Freely branching growth habit, dense and bushy growth habit.

3. Green-colored leaves.

4. Freely flowering habit, numerous flowers per plant.

5. Small mostly double flowers that are light red in color and heldabove and beyond the foliage.

Plants of the new Begonia differ from plants of the female parent, thecultivar Double Pink, in leaf and flower coloration as plants of thecultivar Double Park have bronze-colored leaves and pink-coloredflowers. Plants of the new Begonia differ from plants of the maleparent, the cultivar Bazel, in flower form as plants of the cultivarBazel have single flowers.

The new Begonia differs from plants of the Begonia semperflorenscultivars Gum Drop Pink, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent applicationfiled concurrently, Gum Drop Red, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patentapplication filed concurrently, and Gum Drop Rose, disclosed in a U.S.Plant patent application filed concurrently, primarily in flowercoloration.

The new Begonia can also be compared to the Begonia semperflorenscultivar Queen Red, not patented. However, in side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan, plants of the new Begonia differedfrom plants of the cultivar Queen Red in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Begonia had smaller leaves than plants of thecultivar Queen Red.

2. Plants of the new Begonia had smaller flowers than plants of thecultivar Queen Red.

3. Flowers of plants of the new Begonia were more often double thanplants of the cultivar Queen Red.

4. Flowers of plants of the new Begonia did not produce pollen whereasflowers of plants of the cultivar Queen Red produced pollen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Begonia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Begonia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Gum Drop Mandarin’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalflowers and leaves of ‘Gum Drop Mandarin’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementionedphotographs and following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown in Lompoc, Calif. under commercial practice during the summer andfall in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse with day temperatures about21 to 27° C., night temperatures about 16 to 18° C. and light levelsabout 4,000 to 8,000 foot-candles. Unrooted cuttings were directlyplanted in 10-cm containers and grown for about seven weeks.

Botanical classification: Begonia semperflorens cultivar Gum DropMandarin.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.—Begonia semperflorens cultivar Double Pink, notpatented.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Begonia semperflorens cultivar Bazel, notpatented.

Propagation:

Type.—Top cuttings.

Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 17 days at temperatures of 25° C.

Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 21 days at temperatures of 23° C.

Time to develop roots, summer.—About 25 days at temperatures of 25° C.

Time to develop roots, winter.—About 32 days at temperatures of 23° C.

Root description.—Fibrous, fleshy, fine.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Compact, upright and uniform plant habit; mounded invertedtriangle; freely branching with about nine to ten lateral branches perplant; dense and bushy growth habit. Flowers are mostly double andabundant.

Growth habit.—Moderate growth rate, vigorous. Suitable for 10 to 15-cmcontainers.

Plant height.—About 17 cm.

Plant width.—About 28 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 16 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Internodelength: About 3 cm. Orientation: Mostly upright. Strength: Very strong.Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.

Leaves.—Arrangement: Simple, alternate. Length: About 7 cm. Width: About6 cm. Shape: Ovate to reniform. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Somewhatcordate to oblique. Margin: Very slightly serrate. Texture, upper andlower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; waxy. Venation pattern: Palmate.Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: 146A. Developing leaves, lowersurface: 147B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: 146A. Fullyexpanded leaves, lower surface: 146B. Venation, upper surface: 144B.Venation, lower surface: 146C. Petiole length: About 1.5 cm. Petiolediameter: About 4 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,glabrous. Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces: 146C.

Flower description:

Flowering habit.—Mostly double flowers with numerous tepals arranged inaxillary cymes. Freely flowering habit with typically five to sixflowers per cyme. Many cymes in flower simultaneously. Flowerspositioned above and beyond the foliage. Flowers not fragrant. Flowersnot persistent.

Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Begonia flower year around;flowering continuous.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the plant.

Cyme height.—About 3.75 cm.

Cyme diameter.—About 5.5 by 6 cm.

Flowers.—Shape: Oval to rounded. Diameter: About 3 by 4 cm. Depth(height): About 2 cm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 1.7 cm. Shape: Ovalto reniform. Color: 43B to 43C.

Tepals.—Arrangement: Rosette. Quantity per flower: More than 60 perflower. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Obtuse; ruffled. Margin: Entire tosinuate. Length, outer tepals: About 1.5 cm. Width, outer tepals: About9 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety.Color: When opening, upper surface: 44C. When opening, lower surface:44D. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Center, 43C to 43D; towardsmargins, 44C; towards base, 155D.

Flower bracts.—Arrangement: Two, opposite. Length: About 2 cm. Width:About 2.3 cm. Shape: Reniform. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture,upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: 43B to43C; towards margins, 43A. Color, lower surface: 43C to 43D; towardsmargins, 43B.

Peduncles.—Length: About 3.2 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Strength: Strong.Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144D tinged with 39C.

Pedicels.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Strength:Strong, but flexible with weight of flowers. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.Color: 43D.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: None observed. Pistils: Occasionallyobserved on individual (non-double) flowers. Pistil length: About 1.8cm. Style length: About 2 to 3 mm. Style color: 43D. Stigma color: 14A.Ovary color: 145D.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed asreproductive organs are not formed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Begonia have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Begonias.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Begonia plant named‘Gum Drop Mandarin’, as illustrated and described.